1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a locking and unlocking device, and more particularly to a locking and unlocking device particularly employable for a double lock system comprising a bank lock and a client lock in a rental safe room in the bank.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is well known, most big banks have a rental safe room in a basement or the like place in which a number of rental safe masses are arranged along a wall surface. Each of the rental safe masses are specifically allocated to a certain client in accordance with a contract made between the bank and the client. Each are usually equipped with a double lock system-a client lock and a bank lock-on the front surface thereof, said client lock being opened and closed by operating his own key and said bank lock being opened and closed by operating a key which is carried and controlled by personnel of the bank.
When a client wants to access his rental safe mass in the rental safe room, he tells the bank personnel that he wants to do so. Both the client and the bank personnel then walk to the rental safe room. The bank personnel first opens an entering and leaving door by operating an identification card or key which is carried and controlled by him so that they enter the rental safe room. They walk further to a rental safe mass allocated to the client and the bank personnel opens the bank lock with his key. Now, the client is ready to open his rental safe mass by operating his own key. As will be readily understood from the above description, bank personnel is required to cooperate with a client every time when the latter enters the rental safe room. Therefore, much labor for rental safe services must be extended from the bank causing rental fees to be increased.
To reduce labor works as described above, a central control system has been already proposed which includes a computer installed at the client reception department in a bank so as to carry out opening and closing of the safe room door as well as the bank lock without necessity for bank personnel's help under remote control of the computer. This proposal is easily applicable when a rental safe room is newly built. However, things are different with the case where a rental safe room has been already installed in a bank, because there is necessity for carrying out wiring works between the client reception department and each of rental safe masses. This requires a large amount of labor, time and expenditure. In some case wiring works cannot be carried out or can be carried out only with much difficulties for such an existent rental safe room. Further, another problem with respect to the conventional rental safe room is that it is substantially impossible to identify a client when he enters or leaves the rental safe room merely with the aid of the remote control system as described above including a computer, said identification being intended to prevent an occurrence of criminal activity. If an arrangement is additionally made so that client identification is incorporated into the conventional remote control system, a larger amount of expenditure will be required.
To obviate the foregoing problem there has been already proposed to utilize an identification card for opening and closing a safe room entering and leaving door as well as a bank key. A problem is that a power supply is required for the utilization of an identification card.